You're Not Alone
by FrozenArrogance
Summary: The Land of Fire is met with yet another problem, and more specifically: Konoha! It seems even the Akatsuki want their hands on this 'problem'. How did it come to exist, and how come it hasn't been dealt with before? Slight OOC; I've never known how to keep them in character even though it's only my second story. Trust me: the story doesn't suck as much as the description. I hope.
1. So, who's stronger?

**Author's Note: This idea has been dancing around in my head since the beginning of time. So far I've seen nothing like it, but something close to it? Yes. Actually, I have no idea when this takes place. I'll have it set a little after Naruto comes back from training with Jiraiya. I'm fairly new with this whole fan-fiction business, so I ask that no one flames this; as they will be used to melt ice that has accumulated behind my ears. Critiques; however I can take. :3 This story will contain slash. Which means you homophobes have no place here. Begone ye who does not love yaoi!**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from writing/typing/thinking up this fan-fiction. The Naruto franchise belong to it's rightful owner. I DO however, own this idea. -sigh-**

"**Speaking."**

**'Thoughts.'**

**~~~~Onwards~~~~~**

_Location: Unknown Cave_

"Impossible."

"I also believed that. However, I couldn't entirely disregard this after reading the old texts." A seemingly transparent figure spoke, apparently addressing someone else in the cave.

"How long had that jutsu fooled us? And to be able to disregard the Rinnegan's powers?" The phantom took a long pensive moment of silence. "Konan, we will travel back to the Hidden Rain Village."

"Understood." Came the reply.

Among the eleven transparent figures present it seems only their leader, and whomever he addresses, will speak."Zetsu. Head for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, infiltrate their database, and gather as much information as possible by any means possible. It seams the Elders are hiding information more important than even the Village's security-"

"Uh, that's _if_ what the scroll says is true!" A high-pitched voice interrupted, clearly not aware of the unspoken rule.

"Idiot! Then why would it be hidden by a jutsu so strong it can bypass the power of the Rinnegan? Ugh, think, Tobi, _think_, hmm!" Another voice followed, this time from a phantom with only a single pale-blue eye visible. Said eye drooped closed and the ghostly figure sighed whilst shaking his head. "It must have been a real work of art, even if it wasn't _true_ art, hmm.."

"Sorry, senpai.." Came a dejected sigh.

The wielder of the Rinnegan eyes looked to the transparent form beside him before dismissing his audience, save for one. An silent agreement passed between them both.

"It's true the visual justu that kept the scrolls hidden deactivated, but... something is keeping the scrolls from leaving the room in which they rest dormant." The leader nodded to the female voice. This will likely cause problems, but the information they could gather from this is indispensable. It just might be worth whatever complications arise in the near future.

"..." Both of the translucent figures stayed in silence for a brief moment. "Let's go." With that said both figures disappear thus rendering the cave now empty.

~~~~Scene Change: Konoha; Inuzuka Residence~~~~

"Kiba!" Came an authoritative feminine, yet slightly rough, voice from somewhere in the Inuzuka household.

"Yeah?" He shouted back. 'What could she want now?' Kiba Inuzuka thought with a scowl. 'More chores no doubt... urrggggh!' As much as he wanted to keep the groan withing his thoughts it seemed his mouth thought otherwise and decided to make his frustration apparent with a low growl. As soon as it escaped his mouth he could have sworn he could _hear_ his mother's eyebrow twitch. 'You've got to be kidding me! Please tell me she didn't hear!' Whatever higher being he was praying to decided to answer his question with a definitive: OOOO~ NOPE, YOU'RE BUSTED. Or perhaps that was just Akamaru teasing him.

"Don't you growl at me! Get your ass down here and give your mutt a bath!"

Kiba looked over to Akamaru and wrinkled his nose. Why today? He was going to enjoy today and develop a new technique! Unfortunately, his mother was alpha and she left no room for dispute when giving orders. When he looked over to Akamaru he was about to say something when he realized his companion had high-tailed it out of his room. "Buddy?"

To say that looking for his friend was somewhat entertaining was more-or-less along the right lines, seeing as how the Inuzuka find him in the most irrational of places. Kiba wanted to ask this to the canine God if there was one, but: how in the hell could a 4 foot tall, 310 pound dog climb a tree 20 feet above ground and not be noticed by anyone? The Inuzuka gave a prolonged sigh bracing himself for about.. a half-hour of searching. Sigh.

It's safe to say Akamaru's choice of locations to hide never fail to get an amused chuckle from his master. 'He must get his crazy side from... us. Keh!' Shaking his head he jumped onto the roof of one of the near-by buildings and took a look around. Nothing. Out of the ordinary, that is. It _would _seem normal, only _if_ he had forgotten that it hadn't rained yesterday. The brunette stalked forward, all the while looking at a guilty puddle of water situated off to the side of the spacious roof. Smirking, he walked over to it and looked at himself in the reflection. "Boy, you're getting awfully smart Akamaru... but the Inuzuka nose never lies. Heh." Kiba crouched by the puddle and he slapped it, not at all surprised to see a puff of smoke and a gigantic white dog named 'Akamaru' laying before him, whining.

"Hehe, I would've never guessed you'd actually _know_ how to transform into something else other than me!" The dog-nin barked his retort followed by a low growl. Kiba sighed. "You know I can't _not_ give you a shower. Mom'll skin me! C'mon boy." The brunette pat his canine companion's head in sympathy.

The gigantic dog gave the closest thing to a sigh it could and made to get up, licking his master's marked cheek. Kiba also stood and mounted his best friend who (with reluctance) made his way to the Inuzuka Compound for... a bath...

~~~~Time Skip~~~~

Now that he had finished washing a very energetic (using that term loosely, mind you) canine, Kiba wasn't so sure he wanted to train after all. Bathing the dogs was training in itself! You must use every ounce of your strength to suppress fleeting horse-dogs into submission. Laying on his bed Kiba turned to look at his canine companion resting against a wall. Akamaru lifted his head at the feeling of being analyzed and glanced at Kiba. The dog gave a friendly bark and wagged his tail at his master.

"Then if you feel so damn comfortable after taking a bath, why don't you _let_ yourself be bathed! I swear, Akamaru... you have the inept ability to cause me trouble don'cha?" At this the dog gave an answer of along the lines of: _What are friends for?_ Kiba groaned and lay back down on his bed. He was bored. And... booorrrred. Deciding that taking a walk to the nearest park was better than becoming a bed potato for the rest of the evening was a better idea he jumped from his bed and out the window with his canine friend on his tail.

~~~~Scene Change: Hokage's Office~~~~

The tension in the air was so thick one would say it's palpable. Tsunade groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Why in the hell had they decided they needed to disclose this information to her _now_? She should have been told this _earlier_! As in 'when-they-came-up-with-this-idea' earlier!

"Lady Hokage, we only had suspicions towards this matter at first, please. We only need to run analytical tests to conclude our research. It's of utmost importance. The council would like to hear your answer within the week. I beg your leave Hokage-sama." The ninja before her bowed her leave, shut the door behind her, and leaving the Hokage to her musings.

Couldn't they at least address this matter _with_ her? 'Ugh! Decrepit council members. How _dare_ they _request_ and answer from _me,_ the Hokage! Grrr, I should teach them why I am Hashirama's descendant... to _all_ of their... _faces_!' Thinking straight wasn't something that one could describe Lady Tsunade's condition at this particular moment, and the Sake was to blame for that. Being a Hokage wasn't as great as one would think it be: with all the damned papers to be read and approved, the meetings, the 'no fooling around', and above all taking care of Naruto! Speaking of which, 'I sure hope Naruto's prepared for this. Knowing him; he's most likely not. Hehe, whelp.'

However, the matter at hand is severe and requires a stable mind; now was not the time to filling out this- or _any_ paperwork. Who knows what crazy things she might sign for law in her drunken stupor. "Shiz-!" Tsunade was about to call in her loyal friend when she decided that she didn't need an I've-heard-too-many-times lecture about drinking while on duty. Blah, blah, blah... Slowly she swiveled her chair to look at her village and closed her eyes. 'Eh, I'll think about it later. Perfect time to take a much-deserved rest... Still, I didn't think we'd have _another_ one, and for _him_ of all people! But it makes sense in a way..' And with that, the busty blonde elderly woman drifted into a Sake-full dream.

~~~~Scene Change: Konoha streets~~~~

The perfect day, and he _had_ to lack motivation... 'In _this_ beautiful weather?' The whiskered teenager thought to himself. The _one_ day in his life to lack motivation it had to be today? 'I feel like Shikamaruuuu! Damn it!' By now the blonde ninja visibly pouted. Motivation lacking? Yes. However, craving for ramen lacking? What kind of question is that? No! Naruto made his way to his favorite place of all time. When he entered he was greeted by one of his closest companions, and his daughter.

"Oi, Naruto! How are ya'? Now that you've returned from training we can finally make more money! Oops, did I say that out loud?" The old man teased Naruto, only to have his daughter scold him and ask what Naruto would like today. "The usual, eh? Coming right up! You know, we missed you while you were gone. My daughter has cried and prayed to the beings above that you one day return, I of course, prayed as well. Hahaha!" Joyous laughter filled the tiny restaurant as a feminine voice huffed inaudibly.

"Father, you know I didn't do that. You did! And, I still remember what you said too! What me to tell Naruto?" Ayame gave a knowing smirk. At this, the boisterous laughter of the elderly man ceased immediately.

"Euh, honey why don't you go prepare the noodles? I'll make sure the rest is done, alright? Great, off you work!" Teuchi left no form of argument behind as he pushed his daughter, and himself, into the kitchen where they would finish preparing ramen for who knows how many hours.

~~~~ Time Skip~~~~

Naruto. Felt. Satisfied. Eight bowls wasn't his best, but it sure as hell hit the spot! Now, to wander around the village and see whom Naruto will encounter throughout his expedition. Walking through the streets gave him a feeling of home, but it also brought about the unnecessary past he had endured. It confuses him why people _still_ look at him like that. He thought that if he grew stronger people would at least be smart enough to avoid giving him those death glares now that he wasn't completely vulnerable.

'Gaara, I wonder how he is being treated by his people...' The renegade thought crossed his mind without reason and he didn't mind at all. Gaara... he was something special to Naruto, closer than even the bond he and Sasuke had when they were younger. Gaara **knew** pain, he **knew** suffering, he **knew** how Naruto felt. That's why he had him close to his heart. They were so much alike. Meeting each other was, quite literally, a life-changing experience for both of them. If only he was here, he'd be sure a sparring match with the younger man wouldn't be too bad, though he might end up losing... badly. Damn that sand. He's glad he made friends with the red head. Wouldn't want to get on his bad side... again. Looking for other people to help him regain his motivation by fighting them sounded like a good idea. Okay list! Sakura; **pass**. Shikamaru; probably with Chouji, Chouji; probably with Shikamaru, Ino; just _nooo_, Neji; one candidate... that's most likely already training with Hinata or something... _**sigh!**_ Lee; hmmm, with Gai no doubt, Tenten; 'Ehh, not really my type of fighter,' Shino; creepy, noooo. Kiba seems to be the only one that he doesn't have a problem against. 'But, maybe he's on a mission. Haven't seen him all day, sooo that's the most likely case.' Great, and he was getting into the notion of training...

Transmogrification into lazy Shikamaru-type ninja is under way! 'I'll just sleep it off or something.' As impossible as it seems Naruto was actually lost in thinking! And a thinking-lost Naruto spells out: 'Will soon become _actually _lost because of the lack of attention he is paying to his surroundings.' Still, he really wanted to train with Neji, Kiba, or even Hinata! But, such is life. Maybe he could use a clone and transform them into one of them? Nope. Not gonna work. He's only _seen_ his friends, he doesn't know how much their fighting style has actually changed. 'I _want _to train, but I don't wanna. Damn it, make up your mind Uzumaki! Training makes you stronger! Training equals new justu! Training equals fawning ladies. C'mon, _traaaaiiiinnnnn~!_' As much as Naruto tried to keep his excitement hidden from the public he couldn't help the loud '_Yeah!_' and a fist pump that erupted from the seams of his new-found motivation. With that embarrassing little outburst out of the way, Naruto made his way to the training grounds with an excited grin plastered onto his face.

~~~~Scene Change: Konoha Green Park~~~~

Kiba decided that a walk was just what he needed. It was calming. In fact, he didn't know he was smiling the entire time until Akamaru asked him if he was fantasizing about a certain someone. Hearing this Kiba raised a quizzical eyebrow and chuckled to himself. "C'mon, boy. You know I decided that I wasn't like that. Honestly, I'd rather want to find myself 'the one' _then_ I'll fantasize, keh. After all, we're like wolves, see? We mate for life. Wouldn't wanna fall for the wrong one now would we?" Akamaru had made up his mind: As much of a brash, arrogant, cocky, loud-mouthed, dunce... euh, what was he saying again? Oh yeah! Beneath all the tough exterior, Akamaru had concluded that at heart Kiba was really a special one. Like the ones he'd heard Hana talk about. The brunette glanced down at his dog friend who nipped at his hand. "Hmm? What! I'm not! I'm neither of those things! Don't mistake loyalty for softness... _or _a weakness, hmph!" The canine barked his laughter at the blush dusting Kiba's cheeks.

"Grrr, c'mon we're gonna go see who's right." If the white horse-dog didn't know any better he'd say his master was tryna' weasel his way out of this conversation, but still followed his best friend to the training grounds. With a sly bark the dog-nin decided to rile his master before the training to gain an upper-hand; so he insulted Kiba's sexual preference. Oooo~ this was going to be _gooood_.

"Wh-what? The hell I do! Where'd ya get that from?" The brunette knew Akamaru and what he was thinking, but he couldn't control his reactions! How dare someone insult his macho credibility? The white dog couldn't help the smile crawl onto his face, so far it seems Kiba was falling for it. "What'dya mean _unsure_? Grrr, Aka... I'll give you half a second to start running... **now**." Needless to say Akamaru took Kiba up on his offer and sprinted away knowing fully well Kiba won't catch up. Besides, he had an ace up his sleeve- err, fur? For now he'll let Kiba struggle in catching up.

'Damn that Akamaru, had to go and insult me. Hmph, for that I'll get extra dirt onto his fur. Heeheeheehee.' Kiba couldn't believe how lame that sounded. Really? An Inuzuka surely had to think of something better than _that_! 'Ehh, sounded better in my head, wait... ugh! Never mind all of this! I'm confusing myself. For now; Akamaru's fast but, honestly, the Inuzuka Clan fought along side canines for a reason!' He was not about to be out-done by his own mutt. And sure to his word he caught up with his friend, but Akamaru wasn't trying; Kiba _knew _it. 'What's he up to?' No sooner had he finished that thought had Akamaru summoned forth... clones? What the hell? And shadow clones too! When'd he get so smart? Damn it! This makes it all the more frustrating! 'Akamaru! You will **get it... **_**hard**_! Just wait 'till we get there...'

~~~~Time Skip; Scene Change: Training Grounds; POV: Kiba~~~~

Honestly, Akamaru had seriously advanced. He wasn't necessarily tired, but finding out which was the real dog-nin was tedious. Now he was looking forward showing Akamaru who the hell is in charge here. He, of course, caught up to his pet much to the dog-nin's astonishment. Just remembering how Akamaru's speed faltered once he saw his brunette owner running beside him gave him a major ego-boost. Speaking of faltering; that's exactly what the grin on his face did when they arrived at the training grounds only to notice that someone else was practicing. Looking at his trusty canine companion Kiba nodded and went forward to confront the other being. Looks like Kiba'll actually get to train with someone this time. 'Hmph, Akamaru got lucky this time.' He couldn't help the smirk as he thought of what he'll do to the dog-nin in repayment for all his trouble.

~~~~POV Change: Naruto~~~~

He supposed that he had indeed gotten stronger. He didn't remember his clones being _this_ tough! Well he _was_ at a handicap of 4-to-1 but that didn't matter seeing as how each of his clones had about one-fourth of his chakra capacity. He didn't feel stronger... Well yes, only a little though! Okay, no. He **knows** he's gotten stronger. 'Perhaps just enough to bring him back to the Village.' No, he had to think that he was even **stronger** than him. That's the only way he'll get Sasuke back safely. As he was in a stare-down with all 4 of his clones; one of them (the one directly across him to be exact) straightened his pose and squinted to something behind his summoner (Naruto, the original one.)

"Is that Kiba?"

Naruto didn't expect to hear that from his clone so in startled bewilderment he turned around to see what it was exactly his clone was talking about. After registering two figures off in the distance he did in fact deduce that they were both Kiba and his pet Akamaru. The hell? He thought they were off on a mission. How could they have avoided each other for so long? The last time he saw the brunette was when he'd arrived from the vigorous training Jiraiya had put him through. Dispelling his clones he began to walk towards the two now-nearer inu-ninja.

"Yo, Naruto! Ya trainin'?" He supposed Kiba had somehow lost his common sense.

"Nah, I'm eating the grass. What'd it look like I was doing! Of course I was training, mutt face." At this Kiba let out a chortle seeing as how Naruto was taking this lightly.

"Sheesh princess. Didn't mean ta get on your nerves so quickly. Anyway, how 'bout a sparring match?" Now Kiba was talking his language. Heheh! He'll beat him for sure; just like at the Chunin Exams. Pfft, how hard could he be?

"Alright, Kiba. I'll train with you. And then I'll show you who the _**real**_ princess is, heheh!"

"Hm! You're too funny Naruto. I don't think you'll be laughing once your face hits the dirt!" Now Kiba asserted a fighting pose, as did Naruto. Kiba in his usual 'close-as-shit' to the ground pose... made Naruto wonder how he could fight like that. No matter! He was finally going to show someone how much he's _really _grown. Too bad it was Kiba; he liked the brunette's face where it was right now. He'll certainly make sure that after this match Kiba will run and never challenge him again. Alright, now both were ready. They were staring at each other intently, waiting for the time when mother nature told them to begin. The now-falling leaves of a near-by tree swirled in a tiny twister-like fashion between them: this will be the indicator. The wind died down letting the leaves fall down to the ground slowly. All three had their eyes on the last leaf as it slowly fell in a graceful fashion; joining the rest of it's kin.

Now!

~~~~POV Change: Omniscient~~~~

Kiba smirked, as he almost-teleported 10 meters in front of Naruto and still closing in on him all the while weaving a complicated amount of hand-signs. 'The hell? When'd he get so fast? I don't remember Kiba ever using hand-signs!' Too many questions crippled his mind for just an instant leaving his body to act on instinct alone. And his instincts told him he better get the hell away from Kiba. Jumping back a couple meters gave him enough time to summon forth two shadow clones. They each stood in front of Naruto unsheathing kunai and shuriken. Kiba, on the other hand was howling to his mutt and let out a loud roar of laughter. No sooner had they both rushed forward and spun into their signature move, Fang-Over-Fang.

Panicking, Naruto summoned 5 more and sent them to attack his assailants too try and at least slow them down. Unfortunately, it seems that the blonde was just wasting chakra as the spinning mock-tornado easily took care of the clones. Damn it! 'Just jump right into attacking, right Kiba? Heh, big mistake.' Naruto looked to one of his clones beside him and nodded. The clone began to charge a Rasengan. Kiba was no less than 5 meters away from them and Naruto started to doubt his clone will finish in time. Faster than he had ever done before; Clone Naruto had the completed Rasengan in his hand and immediately shoved it into the ground beneath them; creating a medium-sized crater. However his chakra input was far too great to remain in reality, so the clone disappeared. This turn of events, of course, had faltered Kiba and Akamaru's advances and they ceased their jutsu in favor of not wanting to crash into one the the huge boulders that flew upwards when the Rasengan came in contact with the ground beneath them. Everything seemed move in slow motion; with varying sizes of rock in the air. The air space was clustered with debris but not enough so to cloud each other's vision of the other ninja.

While everything was falling down around Kiba; an above-average sized boulder settled in front of him acting as a shield but also blinding him of Naruto's movements. Kiba walked closer to the boulder and placed his back to it. Listening intently for any suspicious sounds. He couldn't help but notice a sound like that of burning paper. Realization hit him hard. 'A fucking paper bomb!' The inu-ninja had only less than a second to react in this situation. "Akamaru!" He yelled for the dog to get away as they nearly teleported into the forest surrounding their training area. After securing safety behind a tree he silently cursed Naruto. 'Is he seriously tryna' kill us?' Then, an idea popped into his head. Perfect, he thought. 'Let's see Naruto react to this..' The brunette looked at his companion panting beside him and smirked.

With Kiba in the forest the blonde ninja won't have to worry too much about the Inuzuka signature jutsu. He thought he overdid it when he threw the explosive kunai at the boulder Kiba was hiding behind, but it worked nonetheless. He had let out a breath he had subconsciously been holding. 'At least he has those quick reactions.' He wasn't sure if tailing the dog ninja into the woods was a good idea seeing as how Kiba and the dog-nin _trained_ in the forest in the first place. Abruptly shoved of his contemplations, he ducked as an incoming kunai was thrown from the forest's shadows straight to his head. Naruto expected a sneak attack of some sort, but what happened next had his mind working on a way to react; needless to say, he was grateful for having almost primal-like reflexes. The kunai behind him had let out a sound akin to that of a summoning jutsu. Turning around he noticed Akamaru in place of the thrown kunai, and the dog was rapidly charging at him too, with teeth bared.

"Fang-Over-Fang!" Naruto heard the voice from behind him, and getting closer. In the short, utterly-confusing, moment for Naruto he was able to sneak a glance behind him and see Kiba making his way out of the forest to him. The blonde shinobi had two ravaging twin cyclones coming at him from both sides, and if he tried to side-step one, the other would punish him. In an effort to evade both attacks the blonde gathered chakra at his feet and leaped a towering distance into the air. He watched in anticipation at what the dynamic duo will do next. He had to start thinking of a way to turn the tides of battle.

Kiba and his dog-nin certainly did stop but what confused Naruto was the smirk on Kiba's face. What the hell was he thinking now? The brunette rapidly wove hand-signs and stopped to take a deep breath of air. "Wind Style: Air Bullets!" Wait, what? When had the Inuzuka learned how to use Ninjutsu, let alone the Wind Release! Doing the only thing he could do in the air; Naruto crossed his arms and legs in front of him effectively blocking some of the assaulting wind bullets from reaching any of his vital organs. The force of the assaulting jutsu, however, was enough to propel his air borne body into the vast expanse of the forest behind him. It seems Kiba got him into the woods anyhow. He couldn't stop the compliment wanting to burst from his lips. 'Fucking ingenious.' This will be troublesome for the blonde...


	2. Uneasy Feelings All Around

**Author's Note: I think I had given up at some point? Oh no, wait. I think I lost interest. I know. Lame. The previous chapter was un-beta'd and so is this one, unfortunately. I'll go back and fix any errors when I have time to. ;.; I think this story is going to center around Kiba, reason being that he is my favorite character. :3 If you made it this far then I presume you know what this story consists of (said in previous author's note), and I already stated the disclaimer. Also! Big thanks to **_**LyndseyRyder12**_**for the Review! I know I suck at this, but I will only get better with time (I hope). So, many thanks for encouraging me. If I didn't know better I'd say you would be the only reason I'm typing this. :O**

**Somethings are bound to be wrong as I have not seen every show I stopped watching the anime when the Gaara Retrieval Arc about ended. As for the manga: I only started reading it starting the Five Kage Summit Arc skipped a few chapters to the War Arc.**

**As always constructive criticism and reviews are welcomed.**

"**Talking."**

**'Thinking.'**

**~~~~Onwards~~~~**

~~~~_Location: Konoha Training Grounds Forest ; POV: Naruto_~~~~

The hell? How'd Kiba use Wind Release? Naruto knew Kiba couldn't use ninjustu like that... or could he? All he knew was that Kiba sure as hell didn't stay as weak as he was during the Chunin Exams.

'He's improved, but not enough to beat me, heh.' After Naruto was propelled into the forest by what ever the hell _that_ was, but he decided to play Kiba's game and hide from him. But to do that he needed to disguise his scent, thing is: he didn't know how.

But he had no time to dwaddle so he went for the obvious: masking his scent with forest dirt! The blonde began digging as fast as he could to avoid wasting time and have Kiba 'fret over how he overdid it,' he wasn't that weak! As time passed Naruto couldn't help the sudden feeling of unease. Something about the forest just felt wrong. He just hopes it isn't some mad psycho killer watching him from a distance waiting till he loosens his guard and kills him. After he felt he'd dug deep enough to feel the damp soil underneath the forest floor he began – as embarrassing as it might seem – rolling on the damp soil to mask his scent. Embarrassing. 'Why couldn't I just lather some of the dirt on instead?' Next he crushed a bundle of flowers and used the liquid that seeped from their crumpled forms to adopt an almost invisible aroma with his surroundings. He might not be Shikamaru, but he had a feeling his new plan would shift the momentum in his favor. Smirking, Naruto walked in the direction of the training grounds to set his plan in motion. Wait 'til Kiba gets a load of this!

_~~~~POV Change: Kiba~~~~_

Naruto's been in there for quite the while. 'The hell's he planning?' Looking over to Akamaru, Kiba gave him a nod to proceed carefully. There was no telling what kind of idiotic plan the blonde had thought up. 'Knowing him it'd probably involve him thinking he'll win, feh.' Kiba and his life-long companion proceeded in the direction Naruto was flung.

"Naruto! You aren't dead yet, are you?" Kiba all but shouted, "You know, now's the chance to admit that I'm better!" Hearing nothing in response Kiba looked over to his friend and smirked. "I guess he wants us to fight him in the forest. Better for us, right Akamaru?" The dog barked in excitement.

Taking off into the forest, Kiba thought, would be easier than fighting him in open ground. Distinguishing the idiot's scent would benefit him immensely, considering trees and plants don't really smell a lot like a human does. Since the blonde had been air borne when he crashed into the forest, finding his trail would need some splitting up.

"Akamaru you go that way," he signaled with a flick of his head, "And I'll go this way. Tell me when you think you have his stench." With an affirmative bark Akamaru went off in search of the blonde. Kiba didn't take long in setting off in search for Naruto. Therefore the blonde idiot couldn't have gone too far, he hoped. Playing hide and seek was exciting and all, but not when one's pride was on the line. He had to find him and beat him, this time without restraint. He thought back on the chunin exams and how he had lost. Every time he thought back on it he'd question everything he had done. That day Kurenai Sensei had made him think hard about himself after the fight with Naruto. Since then he had vowed something to himself; something only he himself knows. He hadn't told anyone about his secret resolution, he didn't even think he told Akamaru about it – he thought he heard something: something piercing the air. His heightened senses caught the sound of something flying at him, and quickly. He didn't have any time for a counter attack, he'd been caught off-guard, all he could do was attempt to do what all smart ninja do when they feel endangered and have no method of counter-attacking.

He felt it. The excruciating pain of something lodging itself – or scratch that – the pain of those _multiple_ objects digging themselves into his back. He had to hold back a scream to save his pride. He **had** to. "Damn it.." Was Naruto _trying_ to kill him? A gasp. He heard a gasp. Had the blonde not expected that to hit? Wait, he could use this to his advantage. Kiba was still standing at this point and the feeling of the ninja tools on his back weren't helping him keep his stance and subsequently made him fall to his knees. Eventually he also fell onto the floor in a helpless state. As soon as he heard a tussle in a near by bush he activated his jutsu. This time he heard what seemed like a grunt. As the log replaced Kiba on the forest floor, Kiba – behind one of the near trees – now knew where Naruto was hiding. Substitution complete! Jumping onto one of the branches overhead Kiba focused his gaze in the general direction where he had heard Naruto's gasp.

"You can't hide Naruto!"

_~~~~POV Change: Naruto~~~~_

That cunning bastard! How did he fall for it? 'Now he knows where I'm hiding!' Since hiding inside a bush seemed like a bad idea now that Kiba knows where he is, he decided on quietly crawling behind the thickest tree he could spot. Naruto was wary of what Kiba might do – and he had a feeling it would involve his exposure from his current hiding place. He didn't like his chances of remaining hidden. It'd spoil his damn plan! 'Summoning a clone would only give me away because of the smoke. Gotta think of something fast or-'

"You can't hide Naruto!" He didn't know why, but that sole statement sent him into a state of panic.

'Okay Naruto, **think**!' It'll only be a matter of time before Kiba finds him. Who knows what Kiba's thinking. If Naruto could set up a trap, (and Kiba _not_ ruining this one) then he could perhaps he could – there it was again! The feeling of unease, but this time it was coupled with something... He was feeling anxious: as if the fate of the village was weighted on his shoulders. 'What the hell is causing this?' Naruto was beyond paranoid now. This wasn't normal. And as if it wasn't weird enough he could have sworn he had felt himself going numb; the feeling being most prominent at his extremities. "I-I can't m-move... Grh."

"What's the matter, Naruto?" The shock was visible on the blonde's face. The sheer animosity laced within that demonic voice. This was no human voice; and that sure as hell wasn't the Fox. At this point all Naruto could do was listen to his rapidly beating heart, and continue the struggling to move. Where the hell was Kiba! Was this a Genjutsu? It had to be! There was no way this could be happening, he had been careful to avoid all of the poisonous plants in the forest therefore he couldn't be going numb for no reason! And that voice... He didn't know how to explain **that**.

"Why the shocked face? You didn't think you could hide, did you?" There is was again, but it seemed closer this time. The first time he heard it the voice seemed almost omniscient: he had heard it from every direction. Now... it was directly ahead of him, but he saw nothing. Nothing, that is, until he saw what would possibly haunt him in his sleep for who knows how long: ahead of him just around 3 feet away he saw the ground ripple, resembling that of disturbed water. And from it emerged a head of balding hair followed by the unsightly figure of decaying gray flesh falling from skeletal-like cheek bones. Naruto hadn't realized when the tree he had been resting against began constricting him on the spot with it's roots, rendering him unable to move.

'Wh-what's happening!' Naruto just felt like he could cry, he was so terrified. This **had** to be a Genjutsu! This couldn't be happening! It just couldn't! This... this thing in front of him doesn't exist! It's not there! Naruto wanted to scream, but all that came out was a strained wheeze. By the time Naruto had become aware of it his entire body had undergone complete paralysis; he could neither move, nor feel anything. This was truly paralyzing fear. The ghoul before him laughed dryly, his shoulders shaking along with his body making it all the more eerie as it seemed to crawl closer to him, yet unmoving. In Naruto's eyes the background seemed to stretch away from him as the demon inched itself closer with half of its body still unearthed beneath him.

"Hehehe, Naa-ruu-too... It's over."

What came next was nothing. Absolute blackness. Then he woke, eyes jutting open looking upwards to the sky. It was still light outside, he noted. Naruto groaned as he sat up looking around him. Disbelief marred his face. This was impossible! He was back at the training grounds! As he looked around he registered the crater where he had slammed the Rasengan down to avoid Kiba's Fang-Over-Fang technique. Kiba! Where the hell was he? Naruto needed to know just what it was that transpired here.

~~~~_POV Change: Omniscient; Setting Change: Training Grounds~~~~_

"Yo! Wake up, did you, Sleeping Beauty?" Kiba's voice came from behind the blonde. Naruto, still paranoid, turned around at break-neck speed. "Woah! Slow down, Naruto. You just might kill yourself, heheh!"

"K-Kiba! The hell happened! Th-the forest! Zombie! Trees...!" Naruto's eyes were frantic and his face was solid proof he wasn't thinking straight. Kiba's smile disappeared, replaced with a frown.

"Naruto, just calm down. You're not making sense here. Just tell me what you saw." Kiba's calm demeanor was irritating Naruto.

"What do you mean calm down!" Naruto all but exploded, "Listen, one moment I'm fighting you in the forest, and the next: I'm being freakin' attacked by a zombie!" Naruto couldn't believe it. Kiba had the nerve to smirk and snicker while his paranoid mind couldn't even make sense of what he had seen not even two minutes ago. "Why're you laughing, mutt-face! This is serious! We gotta get Granny Tsunade to check this out. Something is wrong with that forest!" By the time the exasperated blonde had finished he was gasping for breath.

"You listen, Naruto." Kiba started with a knowing grin, barely holding back his laughter at how ridiculous his friend looked, "It's all fake. You never went through any of that." Naruto's face visibly contorted with confusion, "Didn't you notice how unrealistic it was? I mean there's no way zombies even exist! Haha, you know what? I placed you under Genjutsu, idiot. I can't even use the Wind Release." As he finished, the look of complete disbelief crossed Naruto's features. Kiba was ready to laugh. This had to be good.

"The hell Kiba? What kind of person are you? I nearly crapped my pants, oh my goodness, I almost cried...!" Naruto covered his face with his palms ignoring Kiba and Akamaru's boisterous laughter, the latter substituting barks for laughs. 'I'll get him back for this... Just you wait mutt-face.' Naruto had many different thoughts on how he should pay him back even if it's the last thing he does. "But that doesn't answer how you're able to use Genjutsu?" Kiba wiped the tears off his face from the hilarity of Naruto's uproar.

"W-well, if I'm being... taught by Kurenai Sensei, who's known for her... abilities in Genjutsu, who says she won't try and pass on some of her abilities onto her students?" The brunette stopped every so often to subdue his random spurts of laughter. "Of the three, I'm the least efficient at using Genjustu, while Shino excels, and Hinata has a moderate grasp of how to control and utilize it." Kiba at this point jumped onto one of the nearby boulders and situated himself on it. "Any more questions, princess?"

Naruto ignored the brunette's snicker. "When'd you catch me in it? I don't remember an instance where we made eye contact." Naruto was dead bent on figuring out how the hell he had succumbed to Kiba's Genjutsu. Giving Kiba one of the most serious glare Naruto could muster, the blonde needed answers if only to formulate a plan to avoid this from ever happening again.

"Well, in a sense, the fight was over before it even started. I caught you when you used your jutsu to stop me and Akamaru from getting you with ours." Kiba breathed, "When that boulder landed between us: that's when I caught you. I didn't need visual confirmation to trap you. Remember when Kabuto sent the entire stadium into deep sleep at the Chunin exams? He didn't look at everyone in the stadium to have them fall asleep." He explain to Naruto. "You see, although I didn't need to look into your eyes to have you fall for the Genjutsu, it's easier to escape than a Genjutsu that has visual connection with the subject, get it?" Naruto gave am affirmative nod.

"Geez, Kiba, don't you think you went a little too far? Shit. Do you _want_ me to have nightmares!" Naruto shook his head and joined Kiba upon the boulder. Looking into Kiba's feral eyes always made Naruto wonder if the Inuzukas who had that trait could see better because they have candid-type pupils, or if it was just an aesthetic factor.

Kiba chuckled at Naruto's question, "Well, I had to cripple your mind, didn't want you to break out of it too soon. I mean if this was a real battle you would've been dead. Besides the newest zombie movie gave me the inspiration. Guess, you just need more trainin'." Kiba regretted it as soon as he saw the pained expression cross Naruto's features. "Hey, hey! I didn't mean it that way! I just... look, what I meant is that you're experienced in dealing with all types of Ninjutsu right?" Naruto nodded. "And you're sure as hell aren't lacking in Taijutsu, right?" Another nod. "But I take it you haven't had that much training to counter-act Genjutsu, am I right?" Once again, an affirmative nod. "Then, we just need to train you in that! But, since Kurenai Sensei can't be on active status right now, I guess you'll just have to train with us!" Needless to say, Naruto felt more upbeat at the thought of becoming stronger.

"Alright! Sounds like a plan, thanks Kiba!" Naruto couldn't help himself from jumping up and fist pumping. After Kiba also stood up to jump off to Akamaru, Naruto caught Kiba's hand and pulled him into a hug, arms wrapping themselves around Kiba with an iron grip. Said brunette was speechless with Naruto's sudden gesture of appreciation, but hugged him back nonetheless.

"No problem Naruto. Anything to make you a better challenge for me." The brunette added with a smirk. Kiba heard Akamaru bark something from behind him and instantly let go of Naruto, deeply blushing and turned to his companion leaving Naruto utterly confused. "The hell, 'Maru! Who taught you to speak like that? It wasn't Kuromaru, was it? What's my mom been teaching that mutt?" After releasing a sigh Kiba leaped off the boulder next to Akamaru and looked up at the blonde. "Aren't you coming to the Village with us? We're gonna eat something." Kiba smirked, "We didn't fight for long, but I guess waiting for your lazy ass to wake up was tiring itself, right pal?" Akamaru gave a loud bark, and Naruto glared.

"It's not my fault your mangy ass surprised me with it. Pfft, if I'd known you used Genjutsu, I would'a won. Watch, next time I'll get you back, believe it." At the addition of the last two sentences Kiba's brow rose as he smirked.

"Oh, hear that, pal? He'll get us back. Wha'chu gonna do? Cry on us?" Kiba let loose a wild roar of a laugh after he'd finished, unable to maintain a serious face. Incensed, Naruto dove down onto Kiba tackling him to the ground. "Ack, 'Maru! Help, he's gonna shit all over me!" Akamaru simply barked his laughter and sat back on his haunches to watch the two teens tumble around. "Down, Naruto! Or I'll eat your brains!" Kiba continued to laugh as Naruto kept trying to pummel the other teen.

"You hear that, dog-breath? That's the sound of your mutt not helping! You're weak without 'im!" The blonde knucklehead continued to assault Kiba with all sorts of insults. Eventually Kiba was successful in escaping the blonde ninja's barrage, and jumped away. "Oh look Akamaru. Without you all Kiba could do is run away. Like a scardy-CAT!"

Now it was Kiba's turn to tackle Naruto to the ground.

It had been another ten minutes before Kiba and Naruto ceased their childish banter. As predicted by Akamaru Kiba ended up pinning Naruto down with his larger form.

"Hey this ain't fair. Get off me you fat turd!" Came Naruto's shrill whine.

"Hey! I'm not fat, you worm. You're just too skinny." As told to, Kiba got off Naruto and offered a hand. "C'mon, let's go back. And to make up for you shitting yourself I'll treat you to ramen, how's that sound?" Naruto reluctantly took Kiba's hand with a glare. "Alright, let's go. C'mon Akamaru!"

~~~~_Setting Change: Ichiraku Ramen Shop; POV: Omniscient_~~~~

"I've said this before so I'll say it again: ramen is delicious, but free ramen is even better! Thanks again, mutt-face." Naruto beamed at his friend sitting next to him.

"No problem, Naruto. It's the least I could do. Heheh." Came Kiba's reply. Akamaru laid behind him with a plate of his own, filled with left over meat. It was on the house, said Teuchi. Kiba wasn't one to argue against free stuff, especially if it's for his pal. Akamaru was obviously enjoying himself with a bone he had in his plate. It had been some time after they had arrived at the restaurant and, considering Naruto's appetite, they'd be here for quite some time.

From time to time Naruto would strike up a conversation that would eventually die out within the ravenous frenzy of the two teens enjoying themselves to their ramen.

It had darkened by the time they had finished, Naruto looked over to Kiba who had only eaten two and a half bowls. "How could you eat six entire bowls? Better yet, how could you survive on this stuff? It's unhealthy if it's all you eat, you know. Eat something with a little more meat and then you'll be as strong as I am, heh."

Naruto scoffed, "Well, geez, sorry Kakashi Sensei, but it's called adaption, duh." The blonde scrutinized Kiba's face, "You're joking right? Am-am I seriously supposed to believe that? Ahaha, what a joke!" The dog-nin frowned making his exasperation apparent with a sigh.

Kiba chose to ignore the blonde's uneducated first statement. "I'm serious Naruto." The brunette smirked, "It's not like you'll be able to beat me with only eating ramen." This time it was Naruto's turn to frown.

"Sh-yeah right. That's how I beat you at the Chunin Exams, and that's sure as hell how I'm gonna beat you next time, believe it!"

"Hey I–" Kiba bit his tongue. He had come close to saying it. "Feh, some people never change, ain't it right, Akamaru?" Kiba received an enthusiastic bark from his companion.

"What're you try'na say?"

"Nothing, nothing. So, you done eatin' or not?"

Naruto glanced at his stack of bowls, content with himself. If anything he wanted to waste Kiba's money while enjoying himself.

"Where's all that ramen going anyways? I don't see you getting fat with all that you eat." Laughed Kiba, "You're purposely eating this much to waste my money, aren't you? Doofus." The dog-nin heard the blonde beside him laugh and just paid for what they ate. "Thanks, Teuchi. As great as always. You too, Ayame!" The brunette heard Ayame giggle in response, and exited the restaurant followed by Naruto doing the same. Turning to Naruto, Kiba gave him a wolfish grin, "Well, I guess our date's over. You know, for a girl you sure eat a lot." Kiba thought he saw the slightest hints of a flush on Naruto's cheeks before he was bombarded with more of Naruto's lame insults. The blonde relented only because he saw the huge dent he had inflicted on the dog-nin's wallet.

"Whatever, at least I still have money. Anyways, thanks for that. I guess I'll see ya tomorrow?" Naruto looked at Kiba expectantly, and said ninja sincerely smiled.

"Yeah, see ya. I'll try not to beat you too bad tomorrow, feh. C'mon 'Maru." The brunette's arrogant demeanor was a distraction if anything else.

Naruto completely forgot his day's schedule thanks to a certain someone.

'I guess it's time to go to bed.' Thought the blonde to himself.

~~~~_POV Change: Naruto; Scene Change: Konoha Streets_~~~~

He had no idea how he hadn't noticed it before. Of course the whole '_I can't even use Wind Release,_' was a gimme since Naruto hadn't ever seen the dog-nin use the Ninjutsu elements, but the Genjutsu was a huge surprise. But he had to admit it: if Kurenai had been their Sensei, it was only natural to pass on even a small amount of your abilities to your students for them to ameliorate on the Jutsu in the future. 'Woah, big word...' The blonde thought with a chuckle. It's true he wasn't a genius like Shikamaru or Neji, but he surely wasn't incompetent. He had a small grasp of the bureaucratic jargon the higher-ups used when addressing important matters, if he didn't, then he didn't think he'd been able to succeed in those rank-A or rank-S missions he's been on. And besides, transporting nobles who speak with words he hadn't even heard of helped him when he'd ask Kakashi what certain words meant. He'd never forget the look on his Sensei's face when the blonde had asked him what 'conspicuous' meant. Just priceless.

Before he had time to recollect on any other memories of his past, Naruto found himself in front of the dingy, run down, apartment complex he'd been living in for the past... who knows how long. Entering his house the first thing Naruto did was slip off his sandals and headed to the bathroom to clean up for the night. That idiot Kiba and his jutsu really did a number on his psyche. He was mentally exhausted. Settling himself between the sheets, the blonde wasted no time in falling asleep.

'Kiba...'

~~~~_Time Skip: Morning; Scene Change: Hokage's Mansion; POV: Omniscient_~~~~

"Shizune! Call an emergency meeting, **now**!" Came Tsunade's urgent command, "We've been breached. And they left with data that only the Fire Daimyo can lay eyes on!"

"Yes, r-right away, my lady." This was bad. If who ever stole the intel gets away: the Village is sure to be taken advantage of. And Tsunade was not going to allow this.

It was only a matter of time before all the Jonin (and above) ninja gathered in the Lady's office.

"I fear some of you may already know, but I've called you all here to address that we have been robbed of very critical information that only the Fire Daimyo and the population related to said information know... If word get's out that there has been leaked information regarding the Village's safety. Then the whole village would be under extreme danger." The blonde kunoichi looked around the room to it's inhabitants. "I will send the most elite of the tracking ninja to go after the perpetrator. The rest of you will form squads to investigate the crime scene. Understood?"

"Yes, lady Hokage." Was the general response from the group before her.

"Good, I will begin constructing the teams immediately. In the meanwhile Shizune will inform you how it is we believe we have been infiltrated. Shizune?" The smaller of the medic-nin nodded.

"If you would please follow me I'll show you where it is this took place." All ninjas present followed silently, leaving the vehement blonde medical ninja alone in her office.

"Impossible. I can't believe it. Was someone working as a double agent? This can't be happening." Tsunade immediately shook off her worries and began working on the squads.

~~~~_Time Skip; Scene Change: Inuzuka Residence; POV: Kiba_~~~~

After Tsume left when summoned by the Fifth, Kiba questioned his sister as to why it was so important that their mother left the food cooking on the stove yet undone. To that Hana had no answers, just a shrug and the courtesy to finish their mother's cooking. Kiba situated himself on the table with fork and knife in hand while waiting for his sister to finish, idly making chatter with Akamaru and Hana's dogs. People often ask him how it is that he can understand dogs. To him the answer was simple: it's a trademark. It's a widespread misconception among the many secrets that haunt the village that the Inuzuka, like the Nara and Aburame Clan, are able to teach it's technique to those outside of the clan. Both of the previously mentioned clans have a scroll they keep locked away with an extreme amount security, for the secrets of their techniques are kept there. Err – not that Kiba knew any of that! No, sir. Who? That's right, grass. Kiba was broken from his musings to answer the unanswered question: (as if somebody was listening, fah!) the method by which he and the Inuzuka Clan can understand their canine companions was because it was literally in their genes. Yup. He was proud to admit that the Inuzuka Clan was like the Hyuuga and the Uchiha in that they all had a Kekkei Genkai. Theirs being the complete understanding of the candid tongue.

"Alright, done." It seems Hana had finished with the food. Yay Kiba! "Now Kiba, don't trash the house while I'm gone. I'm off to the clinic, I forgot that the antiseptic spray that I need to heal burns is low in stock." So Hana isn't going to eat breakfast with him? "I'm off to buy more medicine. Behave yourself. I'll find you if something comes up, alright?"

Kiba nodded.

Hana walked over to him and kissed his forehead, much to the [male] brunette's disdain, "Okay, thanks little bro I'll see you later."

Kiba grumbled his goodbyes and began eating his breakfast. "'Maru, why is it that the damn place is almost always empty?" Kiba asked his companion receiving a bark in return, and continued eating, "Yeah, I guess. It looks like I'm the only one not busy all the time. You think it's too early to bother Hinata and Shino to train? Oh, yeah! Naruto! Gotta train him too, huh?" The brunette chuckled with himself, finally finishing what he had on his plate.

"C'mon Akamaru!"

~~~~_Scene Change: Konoha Streets; POV: Kiba_~~~~

The dog-nin had arrived to both of the houses and neither person was available to train. Hinata couldn't because her father wasn't home and she couldn't leave without his permission, or so she felt the obligation to ask him permission. Shino couldn't because he himself was getting ready for some mission Lady Third had given him. Needless to say, Kiba felt disappointed. It's not that he couldn't have fun training with himself; it's just that he felt he improved more when pitted against people with different fighting styles. Fighting them just helped him adapt to certain situations, such as when he fights someone that uses Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. He wanted all corners covered. He didn't need to improve his defense against Taijutsu because... he was a matser of Taijutsu. But then came Lee. Lee was the only person Kiba didn't not think he could win in hand-to-hand combat. If anyone asked him, Lee has proven himself to be competent enough to take on anyone in the village, but those eyebrows...

Breaking free of his reveries – he seemed to be having a lot of those lately – Kiba made his way over to a nearby bench.

"Yo, Kiba." Said brunette turned to look at Shikamaru who had called his name in that usual lazy voice of his.

"Hey Shikamaru. What's got _you_ up and early?" Shikamaru came closer until he was beside Kiba, looking down at him.

"Business. Listen, I need you to look at something for me. I found an injured animal, but I'm not sure if it belongs to someone in your Clan. Just outside of the perimeter of the village gates. Come on, I'll show you." Shikamaru turned to where the village gates were located and took off. That was quick...

"Sheesh, ain't that something you don't see everyday. Shikamaru's actually moving for once. C'mon Ak-" The dog-nin was turning to his companion beside him but found Akamaru oddly tense. "What's wrong boy? Don't have a good feeling do ya?" A whine. "Hmm. Let's go see what this is all about first."

~~~~_Time Skip; POV Change: Omniscient_~~~~

As Kiba and Shikamaru arrived at the scene, the brunette's sixth sense was telling him something was very off. Kiba looked to Akamaru and noted that he still retained his battle-ready gait he had adopted since leaving the village's proximity. Something definitely wasn't right here. Shikamaru motioned to the injured animal before him laying against a tree stump. Kiba couldn't identify it.

"No, it's not one of our dogs. Our-"

Before the dog-nin could finish his sentence Shikamaru was behind him holding a Kunai to his throat. The 'injured animal' before them transformed to reveal the imposter behind the transformation. And speaking of canines; Kiba no longer heard Akamaru and instantly seethed.

"What did you do to Akamaru!" The person he could only hope was not the real Shikamaru simply scoffed.

"Don't worry, dog ninja. As long as you don't struggle we won't harm him. It's not 'it' we want."

"Heeheeh, Black Zetsu, I think he figured out you aren't his friend anymore." The white being before him walked over to the Nara imposter and, what Kiba could only make out as, merged with it.

"The hell?" Kiba wanted to react accordingly, but he didn't know what kind of trouble Akamaru was in, so he decided on complying with whatever it is was holding him hostage.

A deep voice came from behind him, "Hm, I'd say this was a mission well done, White Zetsu. What say we head back to the hideout?"

"Brilliant idea, Black Zetsu."

"Say goodbye, ninja, to the Village you once called home." With that said, Kiba began to feel drowsy and lethargic. He couldn't even speak.

'Damn it. No. Gotta. Hang... in...th-"

Another Author's Note: If anyone finds any other mistakes then please feel free to PM me about them. I would greatly appreciate it. And for the love of all things Kiba: review? Thanks!


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